High explosive shell



July 2, 1935. F. ROBERTSON HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELL Filed May 11, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wi r July 2, 1935. I F. ROBERTSON 2,007,025

' HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELL Filed May 11, 1955 2 She ets-Sheet 2 \E I 5mm 1 2 4 21 30451911 602 I atented July 2, 1935 OFFICE HIGH- EXPLOSIVE SHELL Frank Robertson, Jonesboro, Tenn. Application May 11, 1933, Serial No. 670,571

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved high explosive shell and seeks, among other objects, to provide a device of this character which will be particularly effective against aircraft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a high explosive shell which will carr a fuse, which fuse may be of suflicient predetermined length to permit explosion of the shell at a desired time. a

A further object of the invention is to provide a high explosive shell which will, after explosion, send particles through the air throughout a relatively large area so that aircraft flying in vicinity will be destroyed or crippled.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a high explosive shell wherein the plunger employed will be locked against accidental shifting into engagement with the cap, but which will be capable of ready engagement with the cap when the shell is fired from the gun. A further reading of the following description will disclose objects not hereinbefore mentioned.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view ing the shell as it would appear when loaded and ready for insertion into a cartridge.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of my high explosive shell and shows the shell as -it would appear before loading, and with the fuse removed,

Figure 3 shell, u

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view show g the time fuse and cap employed.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral l indicates the body portion of my improved shell. Asbest seen in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the upper end of the shell is concave, as indicated by the numeral 2, and is provided with an axially disposed recess 3. Leading axially and longitudinally of the body portion I from the recess is a circular is a top plan view of 'my improved cylindrical passage 4 which is"forined, immedi-- ately below the recess,- with an annular groove 5. ,Leading outwardly to the periphery of jthe body portion and connecting said outer surface of said body portion with the groove 5- is a relatively small passage 6. The passage 6 is preferably disposed at -right angles with respect to the passage 4. The body portion l' is recessed of my improved shell showaxially throughout its major portion to define a wall 1 and a tubular boss 8 axially of said body portion. A circular space is therefore defined between the wall 1 and the boss 8, and said wall 1 is formed with annular spaced substantially V- shaped grooves 9 which serve to slightly weaken the wall so that when the wall is shattered, the edges of the particles will be defined by the limits of the grooves. The wall I is reduced at l0 and is formed with internal threads ll throughout 10 the reduced portion. An annular groove I2 is formed exteriorly of the body portion I. and is disposed nearly opposite one of the grooves 9.

Carried in the recess 3 is a plunger which is indicated in general by the numeral 13. The 15 plunger includes a head M which is circular shaped and is adapted snugly but shiftably to fit within said'recess 3. The head I4 is provided at its upper surface with a pocket l5 which is substantially cup-shaped 'to define overhanging 2Q edges Hi. The cup-shaped pocket, with the overhanging -flange, is particularly effective as all of .the force working against the plunger will be utilized and none of it will be permitted to deflect from the sides of the plunger. Formed integrally on the head I4 is a. plunger shank I! having an annular groove l8 near its lower end. Formed integrally on the plunger shank I1 is a firing pin l9 which is substantially conical in shape. The passage 6 is adapted to be filled with lead or other soft metal and said soft metal is adapted to flow within the groove 5 and within the groove l8 formed in the shank I'I. Said lead functioning for normally locking the plunger in a position out of engagement with the cap, to be described hereinafter. v The boss 8 is internally threaded and screwed into said internally threaded portion is a sleeve 20. The sleeve 20 is provided-at its inner end with a cap 2|. The cap may be of any desired 40 construction. Screwed into the sleeve 20 at its outer end is a tube 22 and carried in the tube is a fuse 23, theinner end of which is secured to the cap 2| so that detonation of the cap will ig- .nite the fuse. The fuse may be of any length,

depending upon the time desired for exploding the shell. The fuse is placed in the tube so that the sparks on the burning fuse will not come in contact-with the high explosive carried within the shell until the desired time. Screwed intothe body portion I and within the reduced wall I 0 is an outer shell portion 24. The outer'shell portion is provided witha relatively thick outer end 25 and, as best seen in Fig-' ure 2 of the drawings, the outer shell portion is 55 provided throughout its length with spaced annular weakening grooves 26 and vertical weakening grooves 21. Substantially conical pockets 2!! are formed in the relatively thick outer end portion 25. It should be understood that, while I have shown the'shell portion as being formed with four of the vertical grooves 21, any desired number of said grooves may be utilized. The inner end of the shell portion is reduced to pro- .vide a shoulder 29 and a relatively thin wall 30 completely fills all of the grooves and the conical pockets throughout the entire area of the interior of the device.

After the shell has been placed in a loaded car-. tridge and the cartridge is exploded and the shell is driven from the gun, the force of the explosion within the cartridge will be directed against theouter end of the plunger by the concaved surface of the rear end of the shell and concentrated in the pocket l5 by the overhanging edges l6 of its walls to drive the plunger inwardly towards the forward end of the passage 4 so that the firing pin ill will engage and detonate the cap 2!. The force of the explosion will be suflicient to cause the plunger to shear the lead in the registering grooves 5 and I8 as the plunger is urged forwardly into position to detonate the cap' but the plunger cannot accidentally move forwardly towards the cap. When the cap has been detonated the fuse 23 will, of course,be ignited and will burn its way within the tube 22 until the end of the fuse is reached, when said spark makes contact with the high explosive within the shell and sets it off. The explosion of the TNT within the shell will, of course,'break the shell into a num-.

ber of pieces, as stated. The edges of the pieces will be defined by the grooves 26 and 21 and also the conical pockets 28. The force of the explosion will drive the pieces of shell in every direc-- tion and, as is obvious, should an airplane be anywhere near the exploded shell, the fragments will, in-all probability, come in contact with the airplane and will cripple it and bring it to the earth.

It is quite obvltus that the device is not limited to use in combating airplanes but it would be equally effective in reducing forts. This device could also be used on the sea.

It is believed that a reading of the foregoing description will clearly bring out the fact that 1. In an explosive shell, .a hollow body having a concaved rear end face and being formed with a recess at the center of the concaved rear end face and a bore extending forwardly from the center of the recess into the interior of the hollow body, an explosive substance filling said body, a cap in the inner end of said bore, a plunger having a head slidably received in said recess and a shank extending forwardly from the head and slidably received in the bore and adapted to fire the cap when moved forwardly into engagement with the cap, the head of said plunger having its outer face formed with a pocket having overhanging marginal walls whereby force of an explosion discharging the shell and concentrated by the concaved rear face of the shell will be confined in the pocket and drive the plunger forwardly into engagement with the cap, and means for normally holding said plunger in a set position with the inner end of its shank spaced rearwardly from the cap but permitting the plunger to be moved forwardly when subjected to the said force applied to its outer end. 2. In an explosive shell, a hollow body having annular walls and thick front and rear end portions, the rear end portion being formed with a bore, a cap in said bore, the front end portion being formed with internal pockets spaced transversely from each other and extending lcngitudinally of the front end of the body and being open at their inner ends and tapered toward their front ends, walls of said body to the rear of the pockets being formed with internal grooves, the pockets being appreciably deeper than the grooves, the grooves and pockets serving to weaken the walls and thick front portion of the body and permit the same to be easily broken into small parts when subjected to force of an internal explosion, an explosive substance filling said body, and means operating in the bore for firing said cap.

3.'In an explosive shell, a hollow body having a concaved rear end face and being formed with a bore extending forwardly from the concaved rear face and opening into the interior of the hollow body, an explosive substance in said body, a cap in said bore, a plunger slis ably received in the bore and adapted to fire the ap when moved forwardly into engagement with the cap, the exposed rear end of said plunger being formed with v a pocket having overhanging walls whereby force of an explosion discharging the shell and concentrated by the concaved rear face of the shell will be confined in the pocket and drive the plunger forwardly into engagement with the cap.

FRANK gonna'rson. 

